BABIES whose pupils react more strongly to sudden changes in light intensity are more likely to later be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a study has shown.
Researchers from Birkbeck, University of London, said their findings provide support for the view that sensory processing plays an important role in the development of the disorder.
The study saw them investigate the pupillary light reflex – a basic mechanism controlling the amount of light that reaches the retina in which the pupil contracts when the eye is exposed to sudden increases in brightness.
READ MORE: New drug hope on NHS Scotland for patients with lung disease Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
The participants, from the UK and Sweden, were 10 months old when their pupillary responses to light were first examined with an eye-tracker that measured these changes in pupil size.
They were followed until they were three years of age, at which point they took part in a diagnostic evaluation.
Those infants who eventually fulfilled criteria for ASD showed a stronger pupillary response than infants who did not later fulfil ASD criteria.
The amount of pupil constriction in infancy was also associated with the strength of autism symptoms at three years old.
Across the two countries, the study looked at 147 infants with an older sibling with ASD.
Of these, 29 met the criteria for ASD at the follow-up. The study also included a control group of 40 typically developing infants.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here